So...what happens when....

[Bengalsfan]

...a license renewal is filed under a company that the Kentucky Secretary of State has formally dissolved?

[secondchoice]

They most likely will be renewed unless there is a complaint.  The FCC only cares about the renewal fees and the public file being current.  Do you really think they are going to check to see if every licensee has a proper corporate charter. 

One better than that, WCNN 680 AM "North Atlanta" has a City of License (North Atlanta) that has been not existed for over 30 years.   

[The King Bee]

Believe it or not, the FCC does full research on information submitted on a FCC Form 301. They've seen that by fully vetting the ownership, engineering and other data given, they'll avoid many problems including financial station failures, technical abberations, dark stations, and other problems. This is one thing the FCC is still very strong on!

 By getting out front and finding problems or misrepresentations early, they'll save a lot of administrative hassle for the Broadcast Bureau later-and screen out a majority of the true hacks who have no business with a broadcast license. If your technical and organizational stuff is together and there's a place in the broadcast spectrum for you, you have a good chance of getting the precious CP (if mutually exclusive competitive applications don't get in the way.)

[jry]

Believe it or not, the FCC does full research on information submitted on a FCC Form 301. They've seen that by fully vetting the ownership, engineering and other data given, they'll avoid many problems including financial station failures, technical abberations, dark stations, and other problems. This is one thing the FCC is still very strong on!

 By getting out front and finding problems or misrepresentations early, they'll save a lot of administrative hassle for the Broadcast Bureau later-and screen out a majority of the true hacks who have no business with a broadcast license. If your technical and organizational stuff is together and there's a place in the broadcast spectrum for you, you have a good chance of getting the precious CP (if mutually exclusive competitive applications don't get in the way.)

But, once you have the "ticket" they don't look at corporate stuff. I don't think that they look at 501C3 stuff anymore. They go on licensees assertions. Under the penalty of perjury. If your caught then, its lack of candor and fines. I'm pretty sure that they don't look at whether you're a convicted felon or not.

[secondchoice]

There is line on most FCC forms about "drug" convictions which is real easy to check.  I know of a broadcaster who if they checked might have an "issue".  BTW I will not rat him out and it happened 30 years ago.

[The King Bee]

Just speaking from personal experience...a couple of times over the years, I've been offered equity in proposed new stations or station purchases in exchange for my engineering services to build and maintain the station.

In both instances, with totally separate ownership groups, l received (within a month of the FCC Form 301 filing), either a letter with a questionnaire or a phone inquiry from the Commission asking me to comfirm my information in the Form 301...so did every other ownership participant in the application, I later learned.

[jry]

Just speaking from personal experience...a couple of times over the years, I've been offered equity in proposed new stations or station purchases in exchange for my engineering services to build and maintain the station.

In both instances, with totally separate ownership groups, l received (within a month of the FCC Form 301 filing), either a letter with a questionnaire or a phone inquiry from the Commission asking me to comfirm my information in the Form 301...so did every other ownership participant in the application, I later learned.

Wow. I've never had that happen to me. No letter or phone call.

[The King Bee]

One note about the "North Atlanta" reference in an earlier post here...numerous dissolved or de-incorporated towns and cities (e.g. Newburg, Jefferson Co., KY) are still Census Designated Places  (CDPs) according to the Bureau of The Census, US Department Of Commerce.

CDPs are recognized by the FCC as eligible for City Of License status under 47USC (the FCC Rules.)

[secondchoice]

One note about the "North Atlanta" reference in an earlier post here...numerous dissolved or de-incorporated towns and cities (e.g. Newburg, Jefferson Co., KY) are still Census Designated Places  (CDPs) according to the Bureau of The Census, US Department Of Commerce.

CDPs are recognized by the FCC as eligible for City Of License status under 47USC (the FCC Rules.)

Won't a lot of that CDP (North Atlanta) be in the new city of Brookwood. (IIRC starting Jan. 1 2013)  Will the CDP go away now that a lot of it is now in a city?

[The King Bee]

I believe that, as a minor change (with no studio or transmitter location changes), the licensee has the option of seeking the official city of license name change at anytime until the next license renewal.

At next renewal, a simple line of explanation on the renewal app will suffice to explain the change of COL name, which will switch to the new city.